Goa, Dec. 24 -- Renowned Hindi litterateur and Jnanpith Award winner Vinod Kumar Shukla passed away on Tuesday at the age of 89 in Chhattisgarh. The celebrated writer was undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raipur, after a prolonged illness.

Shukla had earlier been admitted to the Critical Care Unit of AIIMS Raipur in a serious condition. According to the medical bulletin issued by the hospital, he was suffering from a severe respiratory ailment and was a known case of interstitial lung disease (ILD). His health was further complicated by multiple co-morbidities, including type-2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension.

Doctors stated that the veteran author was being treated for severe pneumonia, alo...